The Concept of Advantage in Sport




Mika Hämäläinen

2012

Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

3

6

3

308

322

1751-1321

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/17511321.2011.649360



The aim of this paper is to analyse the concept of advantage in sport. Advantage is often referred to in discussions of the philosophy of sport, but only a few analyses of the term exist. Sigmund Loland has discussed advantage most comprehensibly. Nevertheless, his view does not address all of the relevant kinds of advantage. I begin with a summary of Loland's view and then show its limitations. I continue by developing his ideas further to present what I call performance advantage, a comparative relationship between numbers attributed to performances. For instance, the performance of a football team that beat its opponent 3–2 is given a numerical value. However, another kind of advantage exists, one that I label property advantage. This term refers to advantage as a comparative relationship between different properties that affect performances. For example, a runner may have more haemoglobin than his or her competitor. I then outline the relationship between the two meanings of advantage. Finally, I summarise by stating that advantage in sport is a relationship of superiority that can be divided into performance advantage and property advantage.




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